Chariots of Fire (1981)

An inspirational running epic

Few sports films are as inspirational as the 1981 running classic Chariots of Fire which should put enough fire in your belly to have you recording personal bests in no time.

Directed by Hugh Hudson

Stars: Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nigel Havers

Chariots of Fire in a nutshell: The story of two British track athletes – one a determined Jew who runs to escape prejudice, and the other a devout Christian who runs to please God –who go head-to-head in the 1924 Paris Olympics.

Why Chariots of Fire is so inspirational: You’d have to be from another planet or still in your teens not to recognize the famous musical score of this movie, which is served up by Vangelis and will stir your emotions more than virtually any other movie score. The music has been subsequently used many times, but is never moreso effective than in its original place: the slow-motion scenes in Chariots of Fire.

Fact about Chariots of Fire: The movie secured four Oscars: Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Costume Design, and Best Original Score.